PEACE of Heart Disease Screening comes to Greensboro

Details:

PEACE of Heart Disease Screening comes to Greensboro - Blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol and diabetes screenings available free of charge to Greensboro-area residents  UnitedHealthcare, and UnitedHealth Foundation Supporting President-elect Obama's Call for National Day of Service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

WHO: UnitedHealthcare and United Health Foundation and a coalition of area and national partners including the Moses Cone Health System

WHAT: In support of a national day of service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, PEACE of Heart (Partnership- Evaluation Action - Community - Education) will offer free screenings for blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol and diabetes to all attendees at several Greensboro locations. As a result of a high prevalence of hypertension, African Americans have a 1.5-times greater rate of heart disease death and 1.8-times greater rate of fatal stroke than Caucasians, according to the AHA. Heart disease, stroke and all other cardiovascular diseases account for 33 percent of deaths among African American males and 38 percent of deaths among African American females, according to recent statistics cited by the AHA.

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009 *St. James Baptist Church, 536 W. Florida Ave. Screening Hours: 9 a.m. to 12 noon, prior to Gospel concert. Monday, Jan. 19, 2009 *Koury Convention Center, (Before and after the MLK Jr. Breakfast)) Screening Hours: 6:45 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. *Gillespie Park Elementary School 1900 Martin Luther King Blvd. Screening Hours: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. *St. James Presbyterian Church (Prior to and following the Noon Day Service) 820 Ross Avenue Screening Hours: 11 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, January 20, 2009 *St. James Presbyterian Church (During the inauguration viewing) 820 Ross Avenue Screening Hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHY: PEACE of Heart is designed to raise awareness and combat the epidemic of heart-related disease in minority and medically underserved communities. A key component of the PEACE of Heart campaign is the strong partnership with area and national partners. Through the United Health Foundation, communities are receiving grants to conduct the screenings and, equally important, to provide follow up and medical homes to uninsured and underinsured individuals. The screening in Greensboro will be held around Martin Luther King Day to honor the civil rights leader and fulfill President-elect Obama's request that all people and organizations give of their time on this day. Philadelphia's day of service is expected to be the largest in the country.